DEADBOLT - A land of warmth
by Ezic
Summary: From the time Ibzan became an undead he managed to gain the control of infamous Dredged. He invented the drug ash and procured a significant amount of it through the harvests he conducted on the vampires. Then he collected all the corpses to build the massive portal that brought both him and the reaper to the flames mansion. But why? What was the reason for it all? Reaper x Ibzan


**DEADBOLT - A land of warmth**

A streak of smoke left the barrel of my gun as the last of Ibzan's henchmen fell to the ground. I looked around, taking in the view of the corpse ridden floor. I didn't feel bad for them; when a undead is killed they are reborn on earth, so in a way I were doing them a favor.

I stepped over the piles of bone as I made my way back to the front door of the flames mansion. I rarely thought nor cared about my targets, the flame told me to kill, so I killed; but I couldn't help it this time, perhaps because he used to be a reaper. My predecessor. He had worked very hard to come here, only to be struck down by the finish line. But what were he's reasons? When I arrived he said he only wanted to talk.

From the time Ibzan became an undead he managed to gain the control of infamous Dredged. He invented the drug ash and procured a significant amount of it through the harvests he conducted on the vampires. Then he collected all the corpses to build the massive portal that brought both of us here. All this for what? To talk?

I guess I admired him. Honestly, I felt that the flame was a bit unreasonable. If Ibzan just wanted to talk this could have been resolved a lot easier.

I pushed a corpse blocking a doorway away with my foot and stepped over him. Ibzan disappeared after being shot five times. The first four times he just reappeared with more backup, but now it seems he left for good.

The front door squeaked as I opened it. The cold light from the streetlight fell on the well outside, the well that lead down to the flame. And there in front of it sat Ibzan. The feared leader of the Dredged. Ibzan was kneeling in the snow, his head hanging limply. His slow breathing was the only sound to be heard.

He looked up at me slowly before sluggishly trying to aim his revolver at me. I closed the door behind me and approached him. I carefully removed the gun from his hand, to which he made no objections, and dropped it in the snow beside us.

The snow creaked as I crouched down next to him.

»Why?« I asked.

»I... just w-wanted to talk... one last time.« Ibzan said with a raspy and unsteady voice.

»About what? What was so important that you came all this way to say it?« I was genuinely curios. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Ibzan. He was so close yet so far away.

»I wanted to tell him...« He took a deep, shaky breath. »That I'm sorry.«

»For what, Ibzan? Why do you need to apologize?« I asked.

»I... abandoned him.« I could see how he grew weaker. »I killed myself.«

He was exhausted, and he began to fall forward. I caught him in my arms and cradled him.

»Why? Why did you do it?« I asked gently.

I knew that Ibzan had been the reaper before me; but that he killed himself? I had no idea. I suppose that explains his strange half skeleton half reaper appearance.

Ibzan, still held in my embrace, looked up at me for a few seconds before asking: »What do you live for, reaper?«

»What do you mean?« I asked.

»Why do you keep going?«

»I'm a reaper. I reap, it's what I do.« I told him.

He grabbed a hold of my arm. »But why? Why do you do it? What do you get out of it?«

»I... It's my job. I get paid to do it.«

»And what do you do with the money?«

»I...« I began; but I didn't know how to continue. I realized his point now. All the money I earned I spent on weapons used to complete my missions more efficiently.

The snow kept falling silently around us as we both rested on the ground to this unexplained place. I looked at Ibzan in the pale light from the nearby streetlight. We were more alike than I had thought. I had often thought that my life was monotone, but I had never contemplated suicide. Not yet at least. Ibzan had been a reaper much longer than I had.

»Is that why?« I asked. »You took your own life because you had no reason to keep going?«

»I worked so hard, for so long, just to sometimes feel the warmth from the fireplace.« He said shakily. He almost sounded as if he was on the verge of tears. »I was so lonely, so cold. I couldn't take it anymore.« Ibzan sat up with some effort, still holding on to my arm.

We sat there, looking at each other for a while before I spoke. »Thus you became undead. Did you think you'd gain anything from that?«

»I didn't think at all, I admit.« Ibzan said, sounding more collected this time. »I just had to do something. I had to get away.«

»Was it worth it?«

»I gained my freedom, but lost the only source of warmth I had. I think both options were just as bad.«

»Then why didn't you do it again?« I asked.

He'd done it once what stopped him from ending his life a second time?

»When an undead dies they're reborn on earth as a human. But I'm not a normal undead. Neither would you be if you'd die.« Ibzan told me. He maneuvered himself so he were sitting next to me in the snow. »Do you think we would be reborn on earth? Even though we were created here in hell.«

I didn't know, of course. Every undead in hell were human at some point; Ibzan was, as far as I know, the only undead who'd never been human.

»Would we?« I asked.

»I have no idea.« He responded. »And I'm scared to find out.«

I sat there watching the vast expansive landscape before us. A snowy field, seemingly stretching out forever with a single lone mansion and a couple of streetlights dotting it. The moon was half hidden by one of the many clouds covering the sky. Ibzan sat quietly beside me also watching the ghostly scenery before us.

The question bouncing around in my head now was how I should proceed. The flame expected me to kill Ibzan. It was my duty as a reaper. Problem is; I'm not sure if I should. I honestly didn't want to. I felt sorry for Ibzan. He had suffered a lot already. If I killed him and completed the mission would my life carry on in the same way as before? Cold and meaningless...

Would I eventually turn out like Ibzan?

The silence was broken by Ibzan's voice. »I'm ready.«

I shifted my gaze to Ibzan who still sat starring at the nothingness. »To die?«

»Yes.«

It was time to make my decision. I either killed Ibzan and completed my mission, or I let him go and fail my duty as a reaper. A reaper going rouge was unheard of, and I was unsure what the flame would do about it. Perhaps send another reaper to deal with me.

»If I were to let you go, what would you do?« I asked.

Ibzan turned his head to look at me. »I don't know« He answered. »Why?«

»Do you want to die?«

»No, I don't.«

My life was cold, lonely and miserable. Just like Ibzan's had been. Just like it was now...

I had made my choice.

»I won't kill you.« I told him.

He looked at me for a while before turning back to the scenery. We both sat silently watching the snow fall. I'm not sure how long we sat there, but at some point I felt him take my hand in his.

After a long time he finally asked with a raspy voice: »What happens now?«

I had no idea. »Does the portal work both ways?« I asked.

He looked at me and nodded slowly.

»How about we get out of here?« I said and stood up. »Can you stand?«

Ibzan made some grunts as he tried, but ultimately, failed to stand up.

I picked him up in my arms and began walking back to the portal. The flame would have to get a new reaper.

As I walked Ibzan held onto me tightly and rested his head against my shoulder. There was something that felt right about this. In the grim cold of hell at least we found each other; two god forsaken reapers, created to kill without judgment.

I stepped into the portal, still with Ibzan in my arms, and the blue light shone up and engulfed us.

When we arrived back in hell the portal collapsed into piles of dead bodies around us. I climbed over the piles to reach the front door. When I opened it a breeze of fresh air hit my face.

I stepped outside and looked at the city in the distance. The morning sun was climbing over the horizon, covering the city in a warm red light. Ibzan made some shuffling movements, indicating that he wanted to be let down.

I carefully let his feet hit the ground and he kept an arm around my neck for support.

We both took some time enjoying the view of the city before Ibzan spoke. »Promise you won't leave me.«

I looked at him and answered. »I promise.«

We looked back at the awakening city. In this grim cold of hell we at least got each other, I repeated in my head.

We began the trek back to my car and I looked back at the, now destroyed, portal one last time.

I think we both, at last, had found a land of warmth.

 ** _The end_**


End file.
